Australian Alumni Award Finalists 2009

Australian Alumni Award Finalists 2009

Outstanding Young Australian Alumni Award

Mr Alex Hansel SimanjuntakAfter schooling at Carey Baptist Grammar, Mr Simanjuntak was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Media and Communication) from Monash University in 2005. After graduating he spent time working in Melbourne, before returning to Jakarta in 2006 to become the first Indonesian editor of Jakarta Java Kini magazine. Long established as Jakarta's city magazine, Jakarta Java Kini highlights the lifestyle and pursuits of expatriates and Indonesians living in Jakarta. Jakarta Java Kini is regarded as Indonesia's leading entertainment, lifestyle and culture magazine.

As the Editor of Java Kini, Alex manages the entire editorial team as well as the marketing, promotion and design departments. He has recently transformed the magazine’s format to give it a more modern and refined look and made it more accessible, engaging and exciting to readers. Alex has proven a great source of inspiration for the younger media generation and has made a significant impact on the media and arts industry in a very short time.

Ms Justina SetiawanMs Setiawan obtained her Bachelor of Business in International Hotel and Resort Management from the University of South Australia in 2005. Ms Setiawan also received the Student of the Year Award for three consecutive years from Le Cordon Blue in Adelaide and during her time in Australia built up invaluable experience at various restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney.

In 2007, Ms Setiawan returned to Jakarta to embark on her entrepreneurial journey setting up her own business Little Kitchen Inc. This is the holding company of her trendy restaurant Poste, located in the busy business district of Mega Kuningan, which she designed herself. Poste targets modern consumers and aims to attract urban professionals, expatriates, and middle and upper class Jakartans who seek to enjoy the experience of dining out with good food, drinks, music and a good atmosphere. Ms Setiawan is a role model for young entrepreneurs and an inspiring woman in the food and beverage industry. She also contributes regularly to Bravacasa Indonesia lifestyle magazine.

Ms Dinna Jasanti Ms Jasanti graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Media, Arts and Production) from the University of Technology in Sydney. She gained valuable experience during her internship with Australian Chinese Radio in Sydney and then with Hillsong Church. Dinna went on to produce and direct an Indonesian Independent film and assisted on several other short films and music videos. The film Kidnap, in which she was director of photography, was the winner of the Indonesian Student Film Festival and Audience Choice award. Dinna’s film Paper Cranes, which she produced and co-directed, won her a Special Appreciation Award at the Bali International Film Festival.

Ms Jasanti received the Script Development Fund from Hubert Bals at the Jakarta International Film Festival in 2007. Her most recent film productions in Indonesia include Karma (assistant producer/director) and Under the Tree, which she co-produced. Under the Tree is currently enjoying exposure at film festivals around the world- including Vancouver, London, Tokyo, Dubai, Rotterdam and Jakarta. The film received nominations for nine awards at the Indonesian Film Festival 2008. Ms Jasanti is currently the Producer at Credo Cine Arts in Jakarta and has quickly established herself as an accomplished young producer, movie director and scriptwriter.

Mrs Ni Luh Putu Caosa IndryaniMrs Indryani obtained her Master of Media Management from Curtin University, Perth in 2005, and she has already gained significant media experience in both Australia and Indonesia. She began her career as a part time Radio DJ and Announcer for OZ Radio Network and then began writing for MTV Trax Magazine in Western Australia.

Mrs Indryani currently works as a journalist for the Office of The Presidential Spokesperson and is responsible for managing the official presidential website. The website is the first of its kind and reports on the President and First Lady’s activities. Her articles are used as a dependable source by other electronic and print media. Mrs Indryani travels frequently with the Presidential group in her current role. Recently she attended the OKI Summit in Senegal, the APEC Summit in Vietnam and Peru and the ASEM Summits held in Finland and Beijing.

Australian Alumni Award for Excellence in Education

Professor Edy Tri BaskoroProfessor Baskoro is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Technology of Bandung (ITB) and is currently supervising 11 PhD candidates from Indonesia and Pakistan. He became the youngest head of the Mathematics Department in ITB history and during his tenure received a competitive grant by a joint World Bank and Indonesian Government initiative, which strives to attain international standards in Mathematics. Professor Baskoro has been the leader of the Combinational Mathematics Research Group at ITB since 2006, and was awarded Best Professor by the Ministry of National Education in 2008. Additionally, he was appointed visiting professor at the School of Mathematical Sciences, GC University in Lahore Pakistan from 2006.

Professor Baskoro received an Australian Government Scholarship to study his Master Degree and he obtained his PhD in 1996 from the University of Newcastle. Since that time, he has published widely in many national and international publications and has been a keynote speaker at conferences in Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Pakistan, Slovakia and Australia. His research interests include Graph Theory and Combinatorics, Latin Squares and Coding and Cryptography.

Dr. Suryadi IsmadjiDr Ismadji received an Australian Government Scholarship to complete his PhD at the University of Queensland in 2002. Currently Dr Ismadji is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Widya Mandala Catholic University in Surabaya. He has demonstrated initiative and leadership guiding his students to achieve international publications, which has in most cases, led to them pursuing research study overseas.

Dr Ismadji has received a number of research grants and awards including Widja Mandala Best researcher in 2004, and a Biography Inclusion in ‘Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders’ in 2007. He has published widely in national and international journals and his impressive career reflects his dedication and commitment to both Indonesian education and research. Dr Ismadji is recognised internationally for his areas of expertise in liquid phase adsorption, supercritical fluid extraction, wastewater treatment and pyrolysis. In 2008, he was also appointed visiting professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

Professor Hendra GunawanProfessor Gunawan has enjoyed a successful career in both research and teaching and has made an impressive contribution to Indonesian national education. He obtained his PhD in Mathematics from the University of New South Wales in 1992 and since then has been a prominent lecturer in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at ITB in Bandung. Professor Gunawan teaches a number of subjects in mathematical analysis, one of the core areas of mathematics. He has published widely in over 30 international journals as well as contributing to many national papers by raising his concerns with national education. In 2000, Professor Gunawan was awarded a Merdeka Fellowship by the Australian Government and he went on to assist the Educational Assessment Centre with the development of quality assurance of national examinations material. He is currently the Head of the Quality Assurance Commission at ITB.

Starting his professorship in 2006 at age 41, Professor Gunawan was recently appointed Secretary of the Council of Professors at ITB. He also finds time to run workshops for school teachers and offers support to many regional universities. He has built up exceptional collaboration not only with Indonesian colleagues, but also with educators in Australia, Japan, Oman, Turkey and the UK.

Professor Frans Umbu DattaProfessor Datta was awarded an Australian Government Scholarship to complete his PhD in Animal Science and Health from the University of New England in 1998, after completing both his Diploma and Master of Applied Science at Charles Sturt University. After being appointed as Rector of Nusa Cendana University, Professor Datta has collaborated with Charles Darwin University to establish a twinning programme in the Master of Tropical Rural Development at UNDANA with graduate students from Australia, Indonesia and Timor Leste participating. Most recently, Professor Datta has been instrumental in establishing the Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with the School of Medicine at Flinders University, Adelaide. Since 2006, he has also developed the Institute for Quality Assurance and Internal Audit.

Professor Datta contributes significantly to a range of educational areas in Indonesia; he is a regular trainer and presenter at international conferences who has published in numerous national and international journals. He also writes and translates university textbooks for the National Team and currently acts as Timor program representative for the Australian Development Scholarship (ADS) program.

MutadiMr Mutadi holds a distinguished career in school curriculum development. He obtained his Master of Education from Deakin University specialising in Mathematics education, in 1995. Mutadi has continued to make a significant contribution to teacher and curriculum development- most recently in his role as trainer in Maths Teachers’ Professional Development, at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Training Centre in Central Java.

Mutadi is the author of two textbooks which have both been awarded the Winner of National Student textbook for Junior and Elementary High School respectively. Mr Mutadi was also the recipient of the First Winner of the National Inspiring Teacher Award by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and his student handbook won the Equity program. All texts were noted by judges for their competency based approach.

Australian Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship

Mr. Airlangga HartartoMr Hartarto is President Commissioner of PT Fajar Surya Wisesa, a leading publicly listed packaging paper manufacturer with annual revenue of close to US$300 million and over 2,000 employees. He is a well-known figure in the business community and President Commissioner of PT Ciptadana Capital and many other companies involved in manufacturity, banking and property. Mr Hartarto was awarded a Master of Management Technology from the University of Melbourne in 1996 and a Master of Business Administration from Monash University in 1997.

As Chairman of the Environment, Energy, Mineral Resources, Research and Technology Committee, Mr Hartarto contributes to a range of worthwhile economic and democratic developments in Indonesia. He is also a motivational speaker who has presented at various international conferences, including recently at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali in 2007. Mr Hartarto is Deputy Treasurer of Golkar, Secretary-General of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations and President of the Indonesia Institute of Engineers

Mr. Eddy S. TjahjaMr Tjahja obtained his Bachelor of Finance from Deakin University, Melbourne in 1989. Early in his career he spent two years working in the investment banking sector in Indonesia and then spent several years in Singapore as Business Development Vice-President of Panin Bank. During his role as Board of Directors with another Indonesian investment group, Mr Tjahja was impressed by job market efficiency in Australia and pursued a desire to contribute to similar economic development in Indonesia. In 1995, he founded the recruitment centre and human development resource firm Auditsi, which has since become one of Indonesia’s leading executive recruitment firms. Building on his research of online technology and wanting to maximise the placement of Indonesian jobseekers into the market, Mr Tjahja went on to co-found JobsDB.com Indonesia in 1999. Under his management, this company became one of the largest players in the recruitment industry in Indonesia. Mr Tjahja has been instrumental in facilitating tens of thousands of professionals in Indonesian and international job markets. He is also responsible for initiating the first job fair to facilitate the placement of disabled workers into the Indonesian job market.

Dr. Lanny Juniarti After observing the increased demand for skin and body treatments in Indonesia, Dr Juniarti obtained her Diploma of Aestheticienne and Physiatrics in 1994 and her Diploma of Aromatherapy in 1995 from the Australian College of Beauty Therapy in Perth, Western Australia.

Upon returning to Indonesia, Dr Juniarti set up her own Aesthetic Clinic in Surabaya where she focuses on treating skin problems both medically and with beauty treatments. Her clinic now has branches all over Indonesia. Dr Juniarti combines her skills and knowledge from her study of Medicine and Beauty Therapy and utilises them in all her roles as medical doctor, aesthetic consultant and President Director of the company.

Mr. Donny WardhanaMr Wardhana graduated with a Juris Doctor Degree from Bond University in 2005. At the beginning of 2006 he founded a small company, began negotiating a joint venture and setting up supply chains, and by August of that year was importing cattle from Australia. Today, PT Sasongko Prima is the fourth largest cattle importing company in Indonesia with imports of between 48,000- 72,000 head of cattle per year.

Mr Wardhana is today a shareholder of four companies, has formed close business partnerships with Australian companies and demonstrated his expertise in restructuring businesses, and negotiating loans, contracts, takeovers and acquisitions. One of these companies, Fox Mining and Engineering; was bankrupt when taken over in 2007 but has been restructured, recently won a tender for the expansion of the M1 Motorway in Sydney, Australia.

Australian Alumni Award for Sustainable Economic and Social Development

Dr. Denny IndrayanaDr Indrayana has extensive experience contributing towards a better Indonesia through his work in governance, academia and humanitarian activities. Dr Indrayana completed a PhD in Law at the University of Melbourne in 2005 on an Australian Government Scholarship. Whilst completing his doctorate, in January 2005 he established the Committee for Indonesian Tsunami Relief, Brunswick. The Committee drew great support from the Indonesian Muslim Community and raised funds to send to victims in Aceh and North Sumatra.

As a passionate constitutional law scholar, Dr Indrayana has been a high profile advocate against corruption. He has written several books and published widely in academic journal articles on Indonesian Constitutional Reform. Dr Indrayana is a former Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Studies Centre of UGM in Yogyakarta and is currently Special Adviser of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Legal Affairs.

Dr. Chusnul MariyahDr Mariyah is a prominent Indonesian scholar, activist and a well known media commentator on politics and democratisation in Indonesia. She is the founder of several non-governmental organisations, which campaign for democracy, justice, women’s rights and conflict resolution. Dr Mariyah has a long-standing personal and professional relationship with Australia. In 1998, she completed her PhD at the University of Sydney under and Australian Government Scholarship. Prior to that, Dr Mariyah was a lecturer in the Department of Government. She has given extensive key-note speeches and published a work on the Australia-Indonesia relationship, as well as participated in joint Australian/Indonesian missions.

Dr Mariyah has been a lecturer at the University of Indonesia since 1982, and for three years worked as the Director of the Graduate School of Political Science and Political Relations. She is the founder and Chair of the Institute for Democracy, Defence and Strategic Studies and has dedicated her career to the advancement of democratic processes and women’s rights in Indonesia. From 2001-2007, Dr Mariyah was Commissioner of the Indonesian Elections Commission, where she oversaw the first direct presidential elections in Indonesia’s history.

Dr. Petrus GunarsoDr Gunarso obtained his PhD from the University of Queensland in 2004. Throughout his career, Dr Gunarso has made notable contributions to the development of a prosperous, democratic and safe Indonesia. Most recently, he successfully coordinated “Agenda 21 Balikpapan”- a promotion of the Millennium Development Goals at the grass roots level- where a number of institutions concerned with the environment collaborated to promote sustainable development, green investment and to address natural resource development in the Kalimantan region. The result was a declaration that describes the importance of a landscape-based and pro-people approach to development.

Dr Gunarso is passionate about forests and the environment and his actions have contributed greatly to sustainable forest development in Indonesia. Aside from his current role as Programme Director of Tropenbos International Indonesia Programme, Dr Gunarso is also a senior officer at the Ministry of Forestry. His books and publications in the field are widely respected and recognised by Indonesian foresters as well as the international forest community.

Dr. Yudi Latif Dr Latif has a long-vested interest in fostering democratic life in Indonesia and has actively been involved in protecting minority rights, reconciling Islamic principles and democracy and empowering elements of civil society. He is a prolific writer and is an activist for building a democratic society with religious nationalism in Indonesia. Dr Latif completed his Master of Arts in 1999 and his PhD in 2004 at The Australian National University (ANU) on an Australian Government Scholarship. His thesis was awarded the Best Dissertation on Indonesian Political Studies.

After 2 years as Deputy Rector of Paramadina University, Dr Latif established the Centre for Islam and State Studies to facilitate studies and research on religious and political issues. As an attempt to reform institutions and public policies, Dr Latif also founded the independent research institution ‘Reform Institute’. Currently Dr Latif is a member of the board of experts of the Nation Building Foundation for the protection of minoriity rights, as well as a member of the board of experts of the Indonesian Community for Democracy.

Australian Alumni Award for Research and Innovation

Dr. Ines AtmosukartoAfter completing a Bachelor of Science degree with First Class Honours in Biochemistry at the University of Adelaide in 1995, Dr Atmosukarto was awarded a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology by the same institution in 2001. Through her groundbreaking research, she has become an internationally recognised research scientist and her reputation epitomises in many ways the generational change that is taking place between Indonesia and Australia. In Indonesia, Dr Atmosukarto has experience as a Research Scientist at LIPI and as Chief Scientific Officer for PT Indo Pertiwi. In Australia, she has been the Chief-Scientific Officer since 2007, for the Canberra-based biotechnology company Lipotek Pty Ltd, where she is focused on the development of novel vaccine technologies for cancer and infectious diseases.

Dr Atmosukarto has won numerous awards including the UNESCO L’Oreal Fellowship for Young Women in Science in 2004 and the Femina Award, which recognises the top 35 professional women for contribution to their field, in 2007. She has won many competitive grants, is the editor of a life sciences journal on the latest advances in biotechnology research and is currently a Research Fellow at the John Curtin School for Medical Research at the Australian National University.

Dr. Iswari SetianingsihDr Setianingsih is the Laboratory Head and Principal Investigator at the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology in Jakarta. She is a paediatrician and a PhD graduate from the University of Melbourne on an Australian Government Scholarship. Her research on red blood cell disorders has contributed greatly to the advancement of detection of DNA mutation technology, leading to clinical and prenatal diagnosis of many disorders.

Dr Setianingsih was a founding member of the Red Blood Cell Disorders Laboratory, which has become a top referral molecular biology laboratory for Thalassaemia in Indonesia. She is the leading scientist of the national network of Thalassaemia research and a founding member of the Genetic Clinic (GenNeka) at the Eijkman Institute. Dr Setianingsih has also been focused on developing molecular diagnostics of several genetic diseases through her collaboration with the Murdoch Institute in Melbourne and the Victoria Clinical Genetics Services.

Dr. Anak Agung Banyu PerwitaDr Perwita is currently Professor of International Relations at Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung. He is the only Professor of International Relations and the youngest (age 41) in Indonesia. Dr Perwita is the vice Rector for International Relations and Cooperation and responsible for building and strengthening ties between academic and non-academic organisations, as well as government and non-government agencies. His research interests include foreign policy and international politics and he has published numerous articles in international journals and has contributed chapters in books on a range of international relations subjects. Most notably, his book “Indonesia and the Muslim World” has become an international reference on Indonesia’s recent Foreign Policy.

Since 2002, Dr Pewita has provided policy advice and consultation to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Defence and the Office of the Vice President.

Dr Perwita was awarded an Australian Government Scholarship, and in 2003 he obtained his PhD from the University of Flinders in Adelaide. In 2008, the same university recognised him with one of its prestigious Distinguished Alumni Awards for significant contribution to the study of international relations and to higher education in Indonesia.

Dr. Sutopo HadiIn 2000, Dr Hadi graduated from the University of Queensland with a Master in Chemistry and obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the same institution in 2007. He has received numerous grants from the Ministry of National Education and the State Ministry for Research and Technology, and is active in his department as Head of the Laboratory of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry at the University of Lampung. He is dedicated to improving curriculum development and currently coordinates an International School project at Bandar Lampung Senior School where the Cambridge curriculum is applied.

In 2007 Dr Hadi was awarded the First Outstanding Lecturer in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Lampung. He has published widely in many accredited national and international journals.

Dr. Sultana Muhammad Hussein FaradzDr Faradz is the Director of the Centre for Biomedical Research at the Faculty of Medicine in Diponegoro University. She has held a variety of distinguished academic and research positions throughout her career. After graduating from the University of New South Wales in 1998 with a PhD in Medical Genetics, she established a Medical Genetic laboratory- the first in Central Java- that assists the diagnosis of patients with genetic diseases. The unique nature of the pronounced cases, where patients require sexual readjustment, brought about collaboration with the Erasmus Medical Centre (EMC) in Rotterdam.

Under Dr Faradz’ direction and through winning a research grant, she coordinates the very successful Gender Clinic which treats patients from a low socio-economic background free of charge; even assisting poorer patients with the costs of transportation. In addition to lecturing under-graduate and post-graduate programs in Diponegoro University and coordinating the Molecular and Cytogenetic Lab of Cebior, Dr Faradz also launched the first post-graduate program in Indonesia for Genetic Counseling. Dr Faradz is currently researching X-linked mental retardation and its prevalence in Indonesia, in collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the Netherlands .

Australian Alumni Award for Business Leadership

Dr. Muhammad Syafii AntonioDr Antonio has demonstrated significant leadership, expertise and commitment to responsible business in his field of Islamic banking, and he continues to play a key role in central Indonesian financial institutions. Dr Antonio has over 17 years of experience in Islamic banking and is a renowned expert on Islamic economics and finance. Dr Antonio was awarded his PhD in Micro Finance from the University of Melbourne in 2004. Recognised for his ability to articulate and advocate, and his expertise in progressing economic prosperity in Indonesia, Dr Antonio is also a well know media commentator and has published numerous articles on Islamic banking.

Currently Dr Antonio is Chairman of Batasa Tazkia Consulting as well as the Board of Commissioner and Shariah Advisor for several Islamic financial institutions. He is also Chairman of the Bina ‘ul Ummah Foundation in Jakarta and Co-Chairman of the ‘Masyarakat Ekonomi Syariah’.

Mr. Christophorus SeptirymenMr Septirymen graduated with a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology (UTS) in Sydney in 1992 and was awarded his Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University in 1995. He spent time working in several financial institutions in Australia and Singapore before returning to Jakarta in 2005.

He subsequently demonstrated his expertise and responsible business practices when he successfully turned around PT Austindo Nusantara Jaya Finance (ANJF), of which he is now President Director. In a very short time and through clear audited financial statements, he was able to achieve remarkable annual results for 2007; these included an 81% increase in employee headcount, an 85% increase in branch network and a 304% increase in net-profit after tax. Mr Septirymen innovatively achieved these results by establishing a structured lease partnership with ANZ Bank. He demonstrated his keen business leadership by expanding ANJF’s branch network and identifying the decentralisation of high economic growth in Indonesia from Java and into the provinces.

Mr. Fikri Z BachmidAfter schooling in Sydney, Mr Bachmid completed his Bachelor of Business at the University of Western Sydney in 1992. Since then he has spent more than 15 years in the banking industry supporting Australian and Indonesian companies to carry out their business trade responsibly. In his role as Head of Special Assets Management with HSBC Jakarta, Mr Bachmid was instrumental in reviewing recovery strategies to ensure the highest level of return and to prevent further deterioration of asset quality. Currently he heads the Multi National Corporate Group at ABN AMRO Jakarta and is responsible for managing the Marketing division and its portfolio of lending accounts.

Mr Bachmid is a member of the Australian Institute of Bankers and the Australia Indonesia Business Council. Fikri is also instrumental in his involvement with the Australian Alumni Association. For over ten years he has collaborated with this group of Indonesian graduates and currently he is Treasurer of the Association.

Ms. Jessy Catharina SigarAfter being awarded a Certificate of Merit as Best Graduate from the Wollongong Foundation Studies Program, Ms Sigar graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy in 1996 from the same university. She then built up her experience in the banking and finance sectors in various multinational companies in Singapore and Indonesia- in particular focusing on internal control, audit and operational risk. Ms Sigar is committed to best business practice in all her roles and utilises her international knowledge and experience to strive to improve company processes and internal control systems to ensure companies are well managed and profitable.

Ms Sigar is currently the Vice President of Internal Control, System Development and Operational Risk for GE Money Indonesia (GE Capital) where she is responsible for managing company risks and maximising loss recovery. Recently Ms Sigar was awarded the 2007 Outstanding Performer by GE Money Indonesia. Prior to that, she was also awarded the GE Money Indonesia Outstanding Performance Award in 2007, the GE Money Indonesia Special Performance Award in 2004 & 2006 and the Citigroup Performance Recognition Awards in 1997, 1998 & 1999.

Australian Alumni Award for Culture and Arts

Mr. I Wayan BalawanBalawan is an innovative musician who is not only an artist but an active alumni and educator. After graduating from the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney in 1997, he returned to Bali and formed the Batuan Ethnic Fusion group- a group combining Balinese Gamelan and Jazz music. He is dedicated to using his musical talents to encourage almost 200 young guitarists and bassists in the Bali Guitar Club.

Balawan is a versatile performer who can sing and play many styles of music solo, or with others. His unique and difficult eight-finger touch style is revered among other musicians and he is considered one of the most popular jazz musicians in Indonesia. He is a regular performer at Jakarta Jazz and other international music festivals. Balawan has collaborated with many international artists, including the world-renowned Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. Balawan has just released his latest album See You Soon, which includes a bonus guitar lesson DVD, to share his eight-finger touch style with fans and music lovers.

Ms. Mia MariaMia Maria obtained her Bachelor of Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne (Victorian College of the Arts) in 2002. She is an extremely passionate artist who has achieved an extraordinary amount, particularly in recent years. In August 2008, Ms Maria established her own Art Gallery, LINGGARseni, a fine art studio in Kemang which was opened by the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Bill Farmer. It focuses on the development of art and offers courses on sculpture, painting and media.

Ms Maria anticipates the gallery will strengthen the strong collaboration between Indonesian and Australian artists. To enhance this further, she has formed ‘Difusi’ the community for Australian Art Graduates, which encourages members to post their works, share their experiences, contribute to news columns and raise topics for discussion. Ms Maria is also a well-respected art critic and commentator, with regular columns in the media, including Indonesian Harper’s Bazaar and Jakarta Java Kini.

Mrs. Mira LesmanaMira Lesmana is an extremely talented and well known member of the arts industry. Together with the production and direction of numerous works, her popular films Petualangan Sherina, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta, and the most recent, Laskar Pelangi have established her as one of Indonesia’s most celebrated film producers.

In 2002, Mira was awarded the Citra Trophy (Indonesian National Film Award) for excellence in film direction. After graduating from the Australian International Independent School in New South Wales in 1985, Mira Lesmana completed her Bachelor of Arts at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts. She went on to establish the renowned film production company Miles Production in 1996, where she is currently director and producer. Ms Lesmana is also a teacher of Film Production at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts.

Mr Ade PurnamaAde Purnama is the Founder of Sahabat Museum, a social community established to share historical information about museums, heritage buildings and historical sites in Indonesia. Sahabat Museum’s vision is to educate and entertain but it also aims to socialise history in a different way. The combination of tour visits and discussion groups with the historians creates an inspiring experience; one Mr Purnama and Sahabat Museum hopes will be a part of everyone's life.

After schooling in Wollongong, Ade graduated from the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. In August 2002, he started with Plesiran Tempo Doeloe (PTD), which became the core of Sahabat Museum actvities and this program extended its events through Surabaya, Semarang, Bandung, Malang, Mojokerto, Medan, Tanah Toraja until Banda Neira. Ade’s success and enthusiasm is reflected in the increasing number of Sahabat’s members and the numerous media publications.

Australian Alumni Award for Creativity and Design

Dr Jusna Joesoef Ahmad AminDr Jusna Joesoef Ahmad Amin was awarded her PhD in Architecture & Planning (major in Landscape Architecture) from the University of Melbourne in 2002. She has a wealth of professional experience in landscape architecture and international design as well as a prominent career in research. She has published numerous articles, presented at a number of conferences (including a roundtable discussion at the Ministry of Environment) and has been senior lecturer in the Faculty of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Technology at Trisakti University since 1986.

In all facets of her work, Dr Jusna Joesoef Ahmad Amin has demonstrated leadership, initiative and excellence in her field as she actively promotes Indonesia’s Cultural and Heritage landscape. In 2005 Dr Jusna Joesoef Ahmad Amin received a Jurors Award from the Bali Tourism Development Corporation and in 2008 was received an award from the Dean of Trisakti University for upholding the Faculty’s name in numerous international forums.

Ms. Sally KoeswantoSally Koeswanto’s flair for fashion has placed her on the cutting edge of Indonesian fashion as a national style icon. Her unique and expressive collections are internationally recognised and she is known for her creative outlook and daring and exotic designs. Ms Koeswanto graduated from The Whitehouse School of Design in Sydney in 1994. During that time, she was a finalist in the Cotton Foundation Awards, as well as selected to represent Australia in the Smirnoff Fashion Awards.

After opening her own studio at Darmawangsa Square and hosting numerous successful solo fashion shows. Ms Koeswanto launched her third clothing line ‘SKIN’ in 2008. ‘SKIN’ is a range of elegant, beautiful evening gowns. Ms Koeswanto was voted nationally by Nokia as one of the 12 “inspiring people” and was awarded Favourite Designer by DEWI Magazine in 2004. Her clothes are worn regularly by many well-known public figures in Jakarta and her latest fashion show was a huge success. Ms Koeswanto has made a profound impact on the fashion community, both in Indonesia and Australia.

Mr Ivan SugihartoAfter completing a Bachelor of Design with high distinction, Mr Sugiarto graduated from Swinburne National School of Design with a Bachelor of Design (First Class Honours) in 2000. He went on to complete a Diploma of Business (Advertising) at the Victorian Business College in 2001 and spent several years working as a designer in Melbourne. Mr Sugiharto is a member of the Australian Graphic Design Association.

From 2003, Mr Sugiharto has demonstrated flair and creativity as well as his international experience in design in his work with Creative Indigo Production. His roles have ranged from Art Director to Production Head, to his current position as Associate Creative Director. In 2008 in association with Creative Indigo Production and a non-profit educational organization, the Indonesian version of Sesame Street was produced. ‘Jalan Sesama’ means 'street for all' and is inspired by the concept of togetherness and diversity- for the benefit of a better education for pre-school children in Indonesia through media.

Mr Djoko HartantoDjoko Hartanto is the founder of Concept Magazine- the leading graphic design magazine in Indonesia. After completing his Advanced Diploma in Graphic Arts at the Billy Blue School of Graphic Arts in Sydney in 1997, Mr Hartanto was awarded his Master of Design from the University of Technology in Sydney in 1999. He spent time working as a freelance graphic designer in Australia before returning to Indonesia in 2001 to work as a Graphic Designer/ Art Director.

In 2003 Djoko and his wife Fifi established Kineto a boutique graphic design company that serves many national and multinational clients. Since its publication in 2004, Concept has become the major creative influential literature for the graphic design industry in Indonesia. In 2008, Djoko also published Babyboss, an urban art and experimental design magazine and ALiA, an Indonesian superhero comic.

Australian Alumni Award for Journalism and Media

Mrs. Ratih HardjonoSince graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in 1984, Ms Hardjono has gone on to become one of Indonesia’s leading journalists. She worked as a foreign correspondent for Kompas for 14 years, specialising in political reporting during times of conflict or transition, and while based in Australia, she covered Australian social and political news. Having travelled extensively, Ms Hardjono’s informative and influential writing includes numerous freelance articles and publications and regular contributions for the Nieman Report. She remains the only Indonesian woman to be awarded the prestigious Nieman Fellowship from Harvard University.

While working as Wahid Abdurrahman’s Presidential Secretary in 1999, Ms Hardjono notably set up the first civilian Indonesian presidential office since 1965 and introduced press freedom at the Presidential Palace. She spent time as Programme Coordinator for Information and Publications for the United Nations Development Programme in Indonesia in 2000. Her published works include “White Tribe of Asia” (1993) and the recent book she co-edited for the World Bank and Partnership for Governance Reform entitled “The Poor Speak Up, 17 Stories of Corruption”.

Ms. Lily Yulianti FaridMrs Farid obtained her Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development Studies in 2001, and her Master of Arts in Gender and Development Studies in 2003, from the University of Melbourne. Whilst completing her Masters, Mrs Farid worked as a journalist and producer for Radio Australia Indonesian Service before becoming involved in the ABC Asia Pacific online project entitled “Australian Federation Indonesian Autonomy”. In May 2004, Ms Farid was invited to join NHK World, Japanese Broadcasting Corporation as a journalist, producer and language specialist, where she provided simultaneous coverage of the tsunami utilising Japanese technology.

In 2006, Mrs Farid launched the first Indonesian Citizen journalism website that promotes citizens’ participation in the production of news using the internet as a communication tool. Aside from this, Ms Farid has demonstrated her dedication to media and encouraging young journalists by setting up “Scholarships for young writers in Makassar” and “Writing classes for high school and university students in Makassar”. Mrs Farid continues to write for national and international media outlets and has published numerous fictional and non-fictional articles and short stories.

Mr. Andrey AndokoMr Andoko has made an outstanding contribution to the media industry and to its ongoing advancement. With a career spanning more than 20 years, Mr Andoko has undertaken a number of senior leadership roles across a wide range of media including print, internet, radio and more recently- multimedia. After completing his Master of Applied Science (Computing) at the Queensland University of Technology in 1992, Mr Andoko became focused on driving innovation in media technology so that Indonesian journalists could better reach the Indonesian and global news audiences. After working as Manager of IT Development for Kompas Daily Newspaper, Mr Andoko launched an online news clipping service. In his subsequent roles Mr Andoko continued to demonstrate his flair for leadership when, under his direction, Kompas Cyber Media (now Kompas.com) became the leading portal in Indonesia. He went on to contribute significantly to the revenue and ratings growth for Sonora Radio as President Director.

In his current role as Vice Rector II at Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN) Mr Andoko is responsible for Technology, Human Resources and Finance, and maintaining UMN’s competitive position in Indonesia’s tertiary education sector. Mr Andoko also lectures in Multimedia Technology and ICT Business, sharing his knowledge with the next media generation.

Mr. Fendi Gunawan LiemWhile completing his Bachelor of Science at the University of New South Wales in 1999, Mr Liem was recruited by PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC). During his employment with PwC Consulting he was the only certified Customer Relationship Management (CRM) professional. In June 2008, Mr Liem was appointed Vice President of the AORA satellite pay television service and is the youngest executive member. In a short time, Mr Liem set up a new media industry standard by building the AORA Contact Centre (120 customer service agents in 2 weeks) which is the fastest contact centre developed in Indonesia. Part of this success can be attributed to the knowledge, experience and working style Mr Liem has built up during his time in Australia.

Mr Liem received a Consulate General Award from the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in 1995 for his participation and involvement in the Indonesian community in Sydney. In 2006, Fendi Liem won the Apprentice Indonesia, the official franchise of Donald Trump’s original American reality TV-show The Apprentice. His success reflects his diverse experience and his engaging personal style.